Miracle
by DCAngel777
Summary: In the midst of tragedy, Robin begins to suspect that he's found someone from his past that he desperately longed to find since he was adopted.(There are heavy Christian themes here, but if you stop reading because of that you'll miss out on the interesting parts.) Rated M for scenes some readers might find highly disturbing.
1. Chapter 1

_The day after Thanksgiving…_

"A terrible tragedy took place last night at the Gotham Children's home. In the dead of the night the home caught on fire and it would seem that only one person made it out alive. However, the identity of the survivor is currently unknown because the bodies of the victims have been burned beyond recognition. The fire seems to have been started by an article of clothing left on a gas powered heater. More on the fire tonight at six."

Robin sat there in horror and shock as he watched the news.

"What's wrong, Robin?" Raven asked.

"The fire… Someone I really cared for lived in that home."

"Is that the home you went to after…"

"Yes."

_December 20__th_

The Titans were headed back to the T-car when Robin noticed a small lump laying, barely covered, on a park bench. "Wait, guys do you see that?" He asked pointing in that direction. They all looked over to see. "Is that a little girl?" Starfire asked.

"Don't know, but I'm going to find out."

He walked over and got a closer look. It was a girl. He nudged her shoulder a little bit and she looked up with her fading green eyes. "I know you," she said. "You're Robin. You used to fight with Batman in Gotham City."

"Is that where you're from?"

She sat up and nodded. "You're about to ask me to leave aren't you?" She started to stand up, but she passed out. Robin caught her, and noticed that there was barely any weight on her, and you could see her bones though her clothes. Her fingers loosened and she dropped a locket. Robin handed her over to Cyborg and picked up the locket. As he opened it his jaw dropped. "How did she get this unless…Titans, we're taking her to the tower!"

"Don't you think that we should take her to the hospital, in case her parents come looking for her?" Cyborg asked.

"I think I know her, and if I'm right, that won't be happening."

The clock rang out, it was midnight and the new day has officially begun. Robin clutched the locket tightly and quietly uttered, "Happy Birthday, Maria…"

In the dead of the night, she woke up with a chill. She was hooked up to IVs and found that her vitals were being closely monitored. "Hello? Where am I? Help!" she cried. Robin, Cyborg, and Raven rushed in to help her. "What's wrong?" Robin asked.

"Oh nothing, I just have no flippin' clue where on Earth I am and I have strange IVs coming out of my arm, that's all."

"You're at Titans Tower. I noticed that you are very underweight, so those IVs are going to help you build up your strength. Raven here helped heal you enough to be where you are now. She'll be coming in here to heal you every day until you are healthy again."

"So she is speeding up the healing process?"

"Yes. Anymore questions?"

"What's the date?"

"December 21."

"Oh lovely…"

"What?"

"This is a great way to spend my birthday, surrounded by strangers, hooked up to IVs, and virtually all alone."

"How old are you today?"

"I'm thirteen."

Robin held out the locket. "Where did you get this?"

"It was a gift from someone who once cared about me very much, but I'm sure he's forgotten all about me. That's what money does to people these days. Now would you be so kind as to give it back to me?"

He placed it in her hand, and then he noticed something on the back of her neck. He moved her hair a little to see. It was a scar, shaped like a bird. "What's this?"

She pushed him away. "Will you stop? Just who do you think you are?"

"It's not who I think I am. It's who I think you are."

"Well why don't you just ask?"

"What's your name?"

"Maria. Why does it matter to you who I am? It sure never mattered to anyone before."

"It just does. Go back to sleep Maria, you need your sleep." With that Robin and Cyborg left the room. Raven stayed long enough to help her get back into a deep sleep. As she stepped out she nodded at Cyborg and Robin. "Do it." Robin told Cyborg. Cyborg stuck another needle in her arm and took a little blood. "Whose DNA are you going to compare this to anyway dude?"

"I'll tell you later. How long should it take to get the results?"

"It will be ready on Christmas Eve."

"Perfect."

Maria woke up again several hours later to the sound of an alarm and flashing red lights. Beast Boy dropped in to check up on her

"What is that noise?" She asked.

"That's the alarm, the city is in danger and everyone else is going to stop the bad guy. The alarm will stop soon." The alarm stopped. "Talk about amazing timing."

"Why aren't you going with your friends?"

"Robin charged me with staying behind and making sure you were okay."

"I see… since you are apparently my guard dog for the day, could you please tell me what your name is?"

"Guard dog… interesting choice of words. You can call me Beast Boy, or BB, and if you like, I could be your guard dog." He said turning into a German Shepard and putting his paws on the bed. She smiled a little. "She smiles! Thank you Jesus! I got her to smile!"

"Okay, you can shut up now."

"Yes ma'am."

"Thank you."

"Hey, I was wondering, what was up with last night, I thought I heard you yelling."

"I was, but I didn't really mean to sound ungrateful or anything, I've just been through a lot in the past month. Believe me, I'm glad I woke up here and not in some creep's basement. I'm glad I woke up period."

"We all are, especially Robin."

"Who does Robin think I am, whoever she is, he must think she walks on water or something."

"I honestly don't know, he's been more secretive than usual since last night."

"I see. Well I know you, Robin, and Raven. Who else do I need to know about?"

"Okay, there is another girl, kind of tall with red hair, that would be Starfire, and the big guy who's half metal, that's Cyborg. They're pretty cool. You should take the time to get to know them."

"I'll be sure to do that."

Raven walked in. "Beast Boy, you need to leave now!" she said.

"Why?"

"Because it's time for her to have another healing session and you can't be in here for it. Now leave!"

"Okay, see ya later Maria!" He said walking out.

"He didn't bother you too much did he?"

"Oh no," Maria explained. "I'm glad he was here to keep me company while you guys were gone."

"Good."

"Look, I'm sorry if I seemed a little hostile earlier."

"It's alright, I understand. Now hold still and don't make a sound. I need to concentrate." A black aura surrounded her hands as she waved them over Maria's body several times. "Okay, you're done for the day, and you should be able to walk in about an hour. I suggest you take advantage of that, it'll help you build up your strength."

"Okay, thank you Raven."

"No problem, Maria."

Raven left and Robin walked in. "How are you feeling, Maria?" he asked.

"I am feeling much better, thank you."

"I'm glad."

"It's a painful reminder of where I've been."

"What?"

"The scar on my neck. That's why I keep my hair long, and don't let people see it."

"I'm so sorry, do you want to talk about it?"

"Maybe later."

"Do you need anything?"

"Food?"

"Ah ha, hunger, that's a good thing. Dinner will be ready soon."

"Great. Look, I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. I was out of line."

"It's alright, I know you must have been through a lot lately and waking up in a strange place must have been terrifying."

"Yeah, but at least I didn't wake up in some weirdo's basement."

"Yeah… wait, that hasn't happened to you before… has it?"

"Actually, yes it has. Please don't make me go into that, I've had a good day for the first time in a long time."

"Okay, take your time, there's no rush. I'm glad you've had a good day."

"Hey, what time is it?"

"7:00 PM"

"So… I slept all day?"

"No… You've actually woken up screaming several times today."

"Really?"

"Really, you scared us."

"What a great birthday…"

"Speaking of your birthday, I sent the girls out to get you some more clothes."

"Wow… Thank you."

"No problem, I'm happy to help anyway I can." He started to walk out. "I don't think he forgot about you."

"What?"

"That guy who gave you the locket, he probably remembers you, and desperately wants to find you. Money can do a lot to a guy, but it can't make them forget about someone they truly loved."

"And how would you know?"

"Personal experience."

With that being said, Robin left her alone for the night.

As soon as she was able, she started walking around and exploring the Tower. She bumped into Beast Boy.

"Fancy meeting you here. Feeling better?"

"Much better, thanks. Well, except for the fact that I have no clue where the bath room is…"

"Follow me."

"Alright."

"Can you believe we're actually having something for dinner that I can eat!"

"Huh?"

"Oh, I don't eat meat."

"You have problems then."

"What? I've _been_ most of those animals! Eating them wouldn't be right."

"Have you ever been a lion?"

"Yes."

"Well they eat meat."

"Shut up."

"So, have you always been a shape shifter, or were you once normal?"

"I was normal, what happened to me is a long story though, I'll tell you later."

"So you used to be human?"

"Yes, and I kind of still am, I'm just not always human."

"Do you realize that humans are omnivores?"

"What?"

"You know, meat and plant eaters."

"Here's the bath room." He said walking off as she darted in and cleaned up a little bit.

She looked at her long hair, all matted up, and attempted to brush it out. She ended up cutting it and covering up that scar with a bandage. At dinner she noticed that they had tomato soup, and everyone else asked about the bandage, while complementing on how she cut her hair. Robin wasn't at dinner.

"So, where's Robin?" She asked.

"Who knows?" answered Cyborg. " He's been acting a little strange since last night."

"I see…"

_December 22 around 2:30 AM_

_She ran and ran from the roaring embers, but it seemed like she couldn't escape their wrath. A tree root leaped up to trip her and when she landed, the embers grabbed her hands and feet and pulled her underground. She looked up to find several sets of eyes glaring at her. The outside of the eye balls were red with wrath and the inside of the eye balls were green with envy. "You should have died with us Maria! You shouldn't have made it out alive! You don't deserve that warm bed you've been sleeping in!" The hollow voices called out to her. "You're wrong! Stop lying! I tried to get help, but by the time I made it to the city, it was too late! I could only do so much to help!"_

"_You're lying to yourself… Circus Freak!"_

"_Shut up!"_

"_Circus Freak! Circus Freak! Maria is a circus freak!"_

"_I said SHUT UP!"_

"_Aww, the circus freak is crying! Too bad he isn't here to protect you! He was taken in by that rich guy, and he doesn't remember you anymore! CIRCUS FREAK!"_

"_SHUT UP!"_

"_CRY CIRCUS FREAK! CRY! CRY! CRY! CIRCUS FREAK!"_

"_SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"_

"_CIRCUS FREAK!"_

"_SHUT UP!"_

"_HE CAN'T SAVE YOU NOW!"_

"_SHUT UP!"_

"_CRY!"_

"_SHUT UP!"_

"_HE'S FORGOTTEN YOU!"_

"_SHUT UP! SHUT UP!_ **SHUT UP!**"

She woke up in a cold sweat, and she didn't realize this, but she was crying, and kneeling down beside her, was Robin.

"Tell me about it…" He said warmly.

"Circus freak…"

"What?"

"They kept screaming it at me… all of them… 'Circus Freak' is what they always called me."

He stood there in silence for a minute. "It was just a bad dream… you're okay now. Nobody here is going to call you a circus freak, especially not me."

She went back to sleep, and he didn't leave until she was asleep.

She woke up late again, to find Starfire checking on her.

"Hi, Starfire."

"I am so glad you are awake, friend! Our friends are kicking the butt right now and I was asked to stay with you. Since you are awake, I was hoping we could have the girl time together until our friends came home?"

"Umm, sure."

"Wonderful!" she said clapping. "We can do the fixing of each other's hair, and the painting of our nails!"

"How about I fix your hair and you paint my nails?"

"Yes! That would be wonderful!"

They spent the next hour doing their hair and nails. Then Raven came back for another healing session. While Raven was healing her, Starfire left and came back with the new clothes.

"Okay, we're done for the night." Raven said finishing up. "Feel free to take a shower now that we have all the clothes for you."

"Thank you both!" Maria didn't waste any time getting to the shower, but she took over an hour once she got in. It had been so long since she had a shower, it was driving her crazy! Now that she could finally take a shower, she took her sweet time to enjoy it and make sure she was spotless. She stepped out in a brand new pair of pajamas while towel drying her hair. Once again, she managed to bump into Beast Boy.

"Excuse me." She apologized.

"Oh no, excuse me, I really should pay more attention."

"Why don't we just say we could both spend a little more time watching where we're going and call it even?"

"That works."

"Hey, yesterday, I hope I didn't say anything to hurt your feelings, I didn't mean anything by it."

"Oh I know, I could tell you were just playing."

"Really?"

"Yup. Call it animal instincts."

"Sure."

He led her right to the dinner table, this time, they were having pizza, and once again, Robin was not there.

"Really, what is he doing?" She asked.

Everyone shrugged.

_December 23 around 1:15 AM_

_She ran and ran from the roaring embers, but it seemed like she couldn't escape their wrath. A tree root leaped up to trip her and when she landed, the embers grabbed her hands and feet and pulled her underground. She looked up to find several sets of eyes glaring at her. The outside of the eye balls were red with wrath and the inside of the eye balls were green with envy. "You should have died with us Maria! You shouldn't have made it out alive! You don't deserve that warm bed you've been sleeping in (whore)!" The hollow voices called out to her. "You're wrong! Stop lying! I tried to get help, but by the time I made it to the city, it was too late! I could only do so much to help!"_

"_You're lying to yourself… Circus Freak! You're dying Circus Freak"_

"_Shut up!"_

"_Circus Freak! Circus Freak! Maria is a circus freak! She knows she doesn't belong! She knows she's impure! You're not fooling anyone, you little whore!"_

"_I said SHUT UP!"_

"_Aww, the circus freak is crying! Too bad he isn't here to protect you! He couldn't save you in the past and he can't save you now! He was taken in by that rich guy, and he doesn't remember you anymore! CIRCUS FREAK! Whore!"_

"_SHUT UP!"_

"_CRY CIRCUS FREAK! CRY! CRY! CRY! CIRCUS FREAK! DIE! DIE! DIE! CIRCUS FREAK!_

"_SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"_

"_CIRCUS FREAK! GO KILL YOURSELF!"_

"_SHUT UP!"_

"_HE CAN'T SAVE YOU NOW!"_

"_SHUT UP!"_

"_CRY! DIE!"_

"_SHUT UP!"_

"_HE'S FORGOTTEN YOU! HE CAN'T SAVE YOU NOW YOU LITTLE CIRCUS FREAK! YOU LITTLE WHORE!"_

"_SHUT UP! SHUT UP!_ **SHUT UP!**"

Once again, she woke up in a cold sweat, crying, with Robin by her side.

"Same dream?"

"Almost…" She started to cry. "There's a little more now…"

"How so?"

She shook her head.

"I-I can't say… it's too much." She placed her hand over her scar. "It's just too much…"

"It was just a bad dream."

"No Robin, it was a nightmare. And it was all too real this time."

It took a few hours, but she managed to cry herself back to sleep, and once again, Robin didn't leave until she was asleep.

She woke up much earlier this time, it was about noon, and everyone was home for a change. Raven came in and did the healing session as usual and left. Then Robin came in and leaned against the wall by her.

"Wanna go for a walk outside?" he asked offering his hand.

"Sure."

She took his hand and he helped her up.

"It seems like you have a lot of bad dreams."

"I do, ever since I watched my parents die. My dreams have been haunted by hollow voices of my memories, and my own screams. It's almost like I'm at the movies, and I'm chained to the seat and forced to watch as it all plays out, over and over again. Each time it just gets worse."

"I understand. I wasn't much younger than you are now when I started to have dreams like that. I would wake up in a cold sweat, and I did my best to hide it from the one person I cared about. And sometimes I think she was going through the same thing, but she hid it from me."

"How did you overcome it?"

"I started to talk to someone. Turns out, the guy I talked to also went through the exact same thing, but he was even younger than I was when it started for him. That man was almost like a father to me, but he never replaced my real father, he didn't want to either. He understood me."

"I think I know what you're doing…"

"Maria, why were you sleeping on a park bench?"

"My house, they called it a home, but I wouldn't give it that much credit. It was nothing like a home. Everyone teased me, and the care takers didn't really care. They would beat me up because of my back ground. The person who gave me this locket… he would protect me from them and take the beatings himself, until he was adopted. Shortly after, I was put in foster care, where I got that scar… it's kind of like a mark of ownership… it was much…much worse than at the house. Eventually the cops got wind of how I was treated and put me back in the house, but that was only a month before the house burned down. I was star gazing when it happened. I ran for help, but it was so far out of the city that by the time I reached the city, the fire was all over the news. Then I just sort of left the city and wandered around until I was here in Jump City and you know the rest."

Robin just stood there speechless for a long time. "Wow…the more I talk to you, the more you sound like the person I think you are, and the more I hope you aren't her because if I knew she went through all that pain… I would just die inside. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"I don't think I'm who you think I am. And don't be sorry. It hasn't killed me yet so that must mean that…"

"It's made you stronger…"

Another long silence.

"Do you believe in God, Robin?"

"I did once… you?"

"Always and forever."

"How could you, after everything you've been through?"

"I made a promise. Also, I know God didn't do this to me, but he did pull me out of it and for that, I am thankful and humble."

After that they spent the next few hours walking around the tower in silence. Then dinner came, and Robin grabbed his plate of chili dogs and headed to his room.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm looking for closure…"

The next morning she woke up to Robin and Cyborg talking about something. She got up out of bed and headed to the door, listening to every word.

"Are the test results in yet, Cyborg?"

"Almost Robin, who did you get that other DNA sample from anyway?"

"I'll tell you later, after I know for sure."

"And why couldn't you just ask the girl? We could have saved a lot of trouble if you just asked her."

"I need solid evidence. DNA tests don't lie, and if you know what you're doing, they don't make mistakes."

"So you think that she would lie about it?"

"Not really, I'm more worried about her experience and mine being so similar that, we get the wrong idea. I also don't want her to get her hopes up too high."

"Her hopes or yours?"

"Both…"

"Who do you think she is?"

"I'll tell you later."

"Why?"

"If I told you, it would seem real, and I'm not sure if I want that."

"Alright, look man, you should go to bed. The test results should be in soon."

"Alright…"

She quickly climbed back into bed, wondering just who he thinks she is, and why it is so important to him. She was wide awake for hours just thinking about "what if…"

Finally, at about 10:47 AM, the results came in. Cyborg gathered Maria and the Titans in the living room and plugged the computer up to the TV.

"Okay kid, before I tell you what I did, I'd like to tell you that it was all Robin's idea." Cyborg explained.

"Okay…what exactly did you do?"

"While you slept, I took a blood sample to compare your DNA to a mystery guy."

"I see, let me guess, I'm not who you thought I was, right Robin?"

"I don't know yet." Robin said. "Cyborg hasn't shared the results with me yet."

"Actually Maria," Cyborg added "I was a little shocked about the results, and I'm sure you will be too."

Robin crossed his arms. "Will you please just tell us the results?"

"Okay man chill. Maria, after comparing the DNA to this mystery guy, I can say without the shadow of a doubt, that the mystery guy is your brother."

Robin grinned from ear to ear.

Maria started crying. "You know my big brother?"

"Okay Robin, spit it out. Where did you get that DNA sample?" Cyborg asked.

Maria stood up and grabbed Robin's arm. "Where is he? Where is my brother?"

Robin looked her in the eyes and said, "You're looking at him. That DNA sample came from me."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Heavy Christian themes. No flaming!**_

_**Bolded quotes are sign language.**_

_**Merry Christmas, God**_** Bless!**

* * *

Christmas Eve, what a day! Maria helped to get the Titans ready for a Christmas party. Every living Titan is going to show up, as if she hasn't already had an overwhelming week. To make matters worse, Robin, her brother, was unsure about letting her stay and put her life on the line with the others. At the same time, he wasn't ready to be separated from her again. Only time will tell in the end. Maria hung some lights by the living room entrance (she wasn't asked to do this, but it was the least she could do after everything they've done for her) with her mind flying in every direction known to man. What will happen to her if Robin didn't want her risking her life? How she was jealous of all of Gotham City because he was protecting it, when he just couldn't protect her. What if when she ran away, she had run farther? What if she didn't turn around when she saw the dynamic duo patrolling the streets? Could life have been better for her? The more the thought about all of this, the harder it got to fight off the tears.

Starfire tapped Robin on the shoulder. "Robin?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"I am sorry."

"For what?

"Earlier, when we did not know she was your sister, I thought that maybe…"

"Starfire, even if that was the case, I have you, and I'll never leave you."

Robin looked up and saw that they were under the mistletoe, and wrapped his arms around her waist as he gently kissed her lips.

"Robin…"

"Don't ever forget that."

He looked over to Maria, and he could tell that something was bothering her.

"What's wrong, Maria?" he asked approaching her.

"Nothing…"

"Wrong answer. What's wrong?"

"Some things never change, do they Dick?"

"No, I will always be able to tell when you're bothered. No amount of time can stop that, not after all we've been through toge-"

"Together? What do you mean 'Together'? What about what I had to go through **without** you? I-I'm not ready to go through that again!" She couldn't fight the tears anymore.

"You won't have to, Maria. We've talked it over, you can stay, if you agree to train with me until I think you're ready."

She just nodded. He leaned in to hug her, but she kept him at arms length.

"I-I'm just not ready for that yet. I-I'm sorry, but please don't ask why…"

"It's okay Maria, take your time."

_What just happened? She's so distant, why?_

Once again the alarm went off. There was trouble in the city…again. Robin analysed the mission statement, he needed everyone for this.

"Maria, will you be okay here alone for a little while?"

"Yes."

He handed her some round disks, tiny grey balls, and a communicator.

"These disks will freeze our target, the grey balls are smoke bombs, and if you need help just press the panic button on the communicator. If you are attacked you need to disengage and create distance."

"You mean run right?"

"Yes! Run!"

She nodded and the Titans ran off.

She spent thirty minutes putting more lights up, then sat down to watch TV. As she reached for the remote, a portal opened up and two boys stepped out. They startled each other. One of the boys blew his trumpet to open another portal, ready to push her in. The other, a blonde, held out one finger. He looked her in the eyes and took over her body. After a few minutes, he jumped out of her and gave his friend a thumbs up. His friend closed the portal. Maria held up three ice disks and the communicator.

"Who are you?" she asked

"I'm Harold," the boy with the horn said "and my friend here is-"

"He can introduce himself!"

She looked at the blonde who just pointed to a scar on his neck

"So you can't speak?"

He nodded.

Maria started to use ASL sign language.

"**Why didn't you say that before?"** she signed

He looked confused for a second, and then started signing back.

"**J-E-R-I-C-H-O"**

"**Nice to meet you. Now what were you doing in my body?"**

"**Trying to figure out if you're a friend or a foe."**

"**Well?"**

"**Friend."**

"**Great. Now it's my turn."**

She opened the communicator and called Robin.

"Robin, you have visitors."

"Who?"

"Harold and Jericho." She turned the screen to show him the strange boys.

"They're cool. I'm actually glad they came, I was worried about leaving you alone."

Without warning, communication was cut off. She looked up at the boys. "I'll be on the roof if you need me." She said as she walked off.

Once on the roof, she looked around to make sure nobody was watching. She got on her hands and knees, then she balled her right hand into a fist a slammed it down screaming

"What is wrong with me!" She covered her face and started to cry. "I want to let someone in, but I can't. I just can't! Why can't I let anyone in?" Suddenly she felt that same familiar chill she felt when she needed it most. "Okay God, you have my attention." She bowed her head, closed her eyes, and put her hands together. "Father, thank you for bringing me where I am today, and for reuniting me with my brother. I am truly humbled. Please Lord, take away my fears so that I may open up and let him in. I know he won't hurt me, but, I'm just afraid for some reason. Please, please dear Lord," she looked up to the sky "I can't live like this anymore…"

She suddenly heard foot steps behind her. She looked behind her to find Robin.

Robin saw that she had been crying and ran up to her. "Maria, why are you crying?"

"I was just praying."

"Oh..."

"When was the last time you prayed Dick?"

"At the funeral."

"Why?"

"Why should I? What kind of God takes parents away from children and then separates the children soon after? Then, as if that weren't enough, he takes the youngest and puts her through some kind of living Hell that haunts her dreams on a nightly basis for years to come. Really, what kind of father does that?"

She looked up at him.

"Remember that nasty medicine Mom and Dad would make us take when we were sick? Or all the times we would fall down during training, and the soreness that came when we started new techniques?"

"Yes."

"Remember when Dad caught you trying to practice advanced techniques without help or a net?"

"I couldn't sit down for a week. How could I forget?"

"Why would they give us that awful medicine?"

"It helped us feel better."

"What would Dad say after every fall and every sore arm?"

"No pain no gain."

"Why did they make us train?"

"To make us stronger."

"Did they ever give us more than we could handle?"

"No."

"Why did Dad punish you for trying that advanced technique?"

"I could have been killed doing that."

"Did you understand that at the time?"

"No."

"What did you think about it back then?"

"I thought he was over reacting and that he was a bad father. I told him I hated him…"

"Did he still love you, even after you told him you hated him?"

"Yes…"

"You just answered your own questions. I would also like to add that God isn't always the one to blame."

"Then who is?"

"The devil, being one who would love to see the down fall of man, he will gladly go out of his way to make us suffer. Think about pain like a snow globe."

"A snow globe?"

"Yes."

"You've lost your mind…"

"No, listen. What is a snow globe?"

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Just answer…Please!"

"A snow globe is like a glass ball with water and a nice figurine in the middle."

"What happens when you shake it up?"

"It snows."

"Now, when you're in pain, you feel like you're trapped and drowning in your sorrows. It's like your world has been shaken up, and everything just seems so cold. See what I'm saying here?"

"I think so. What's your point?"

"The devil will take full advantage of your problems, and trap you. Once he has you trapped, you start to drown. Then he carefully picks you up and shakes you senseless, until it 'snows' over and over again. You desperately try to find a way out, but you can't get out, at least, not on your own."

"Okay?"

"Funny thing about snow globes is, they can be broken. Only Jesus can break you out of your glass prison, if you let him. Just call upon him and he will come running, no matter who you are or what you've done. Just call him, you are his, and he will never leave you."

Robin stood there speechless for a while. He looked at the time, it was late.

"You should get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."

"Okay. Do you still have Dad's Bible?"

"Yes."

"You promised him that if something happened to him, you would continue the tradition of reading the Christmas story. Please?"

"Alright…only because you asked nicely."

They walked down to their rooms and went to sleep.

The next morning Beast Boy dragged her out of bed to meet everyone. The new people she met were: Jinx, Kid Flash, Argent, Thunder, Lightning, Bumble Bee, Aqua Lad, Speedy, Mas y Menos, Kilowatt, Panthra, Wilder beast, Hot Spot, Gn'nark, Wonder Girl, Bushido, Melvin, Timmy Tantrum, Teether, Bobby, and Red Star. (Melvin, Timmy Tantrum, and Teether were just little kids, what the heck were they doing here?)

Maria looked around, wondering just how all these people could fit in the Tower. She noticed everyone exchanging gifts and couples holding hands. Jericho seemed upset _**(A/N: Read Remembering you if you want to know why.)**_, but Harold was comforting him. Beast Boy went to his stocking and pulled out lumps of coal (courtesy of Raven and Cyborg). This made everyone laugh. The day went on crime free (everyone knew that all of the Titans were in town, and nobody was stupid enough to try anything). Robin grabbed Maria's wrist and lead her out of the living room and down the hall. Soon they were standing in front of a door with a bow on it. She moved the bow to find her name on it. They went in. She had a round queen size bed against the wall. The walls were painted purple, with silver linings. The wall her bed was against has a few black birds painted above her bed, and a blue full moon painted in the corner with a few silver stars. She had a black desk and a matching dresser. The desk had a package on it. She went to open it, it had a mask like Robins, a silver utility belt, a black and silver cape, black leggings, a purple dress, black gloves, and a pair of steel toe boots inside.

"Thank you…" Was all she could say after a few moments of being speechless.

"Your welcome. Now come on, we have a Christmas tradition to revive."

Maria smiled like a little kid and ran back to the living room.

Robin came back with his Dad's Bible and called all the Titans to sit by the tree. Timmy and Teether noticed the book and climbed in his lap to hear the story. Robin opened up the Bible to Matthew and started to read how the virgin Mary became pregnant with Jesus Christ, how Joseph was visited in a dream, how the savior was born in a manger in Bethlehem, and how the star led the wise men to the new born king. Melvin, Timmy, Teether, and Starfire listened wide eyed as he explained how God sent his son to save us from our sin. Maria smiled as everyone listened, some interested, some wondering why he was doing this, some just not caring. Jinx seemed to be touched by the story she's never heard before, it's almost like she felt the redemption through the story. Maria just giggled as she imagined what everyone would think about Good Friday and Easter!

That night, as some Titans went home and others stayed the night, Robin was putting up his father's Bible when he bumped his arm against the closet door and dropped it. It landed on its spine and opened. Robin went to pick it up and noticed among the black and white on the page, there were a few lines highlighted in bright yellow. It read _Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you._ It was Psalm chapter 9 verse 10. He looked over it a few more times before closing it and thinking back to the conversation he had with Maria the night before.


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, these next few chapters could be highly disturbing to some readers. If you get sick easliy, don't read the next few chapters!

* * *

"Really, you're going to use another bird name?" Robin inquired his sister before training began.

"Yes. Is there a problem with that?"

"Well we have a Raven, and a Robin."

"Well mine doesn't start with an R does it?"

"No. Why do you want to use that name anyway?"

"What, you don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"When I found that bird by the road, it had a broken wing and I nursed it back to health. Then, when I set it free, it sang the most beautiful song I've ever heard!"

"Oh, now I remember. That was a nightingale?"

"That's right. I want to be known as Nightingale to represent how you guys helped me get better, just like I helped that bird feel better."

"Okay, you can have it. Nightingale it is."

"Sweet! Thanks Bro."

"Alright, I'm going to start you off with how to flip a guy who attacks from behind."

"Great, what do I do?"

"Okay, I'm going to grab you from behind, and I want you to step back with one foot between my feet, grab my wrists, and lean forward, twisting your body a little. This will pick me up and flip me over to the other side. What ever you do, don't stop. Keep going until you see me on the floor."

She nodded.

Robin wrapped his arms around her shoulders; she froze, as if she was in some sort of trance.

"Nightingale?"

Silence

"Maria?"

More silence

"Sis!"

She snapped out of it, then grabbed his wrists, stepped back, and leaned forward as she twisted her body. Next thing she knew, Robin was on his back in front of her.

He stood up.

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"You hesitated, why?"

"I'm sorry…"

"In a real battle, such hesitation could get you killed, and 'sorry' wouldn't bring you back!"

"I've faced things worse than death Bro."

"Just tell me what happened…"

"When you grabbed me, I don't know, I just…can I tell you later? Please…right now I-I just can't!"

Robin touched the tips of his fingers to his forehead. "Alright, tell me when you're ready."

"Okay…"

"But you won't be going out until we knock this out."

"Okay."

Jericho walked in and tapped Robin's shoulder.

"Hi Jericho, I thought you went home, is everything okay?"

He shook his head and held up a sign that read:

_I have a problem…_

_Have you learned any sign language yet?_

"I'm sorry, I haven't had time…"

He sighed silently.

"Hold on," Maria blurted out. "I'm very fluent in sign language."

"When did that happen?"

"One of the other foster kids I lived with was deaf, I had to learn."

"Oh. Okay. So you can interpret for us?"

"Yes." She looked over to Jericho, who nodded and started signing.

"Okay. He says: 'There was a land slide, nobody was hurt, but my home was destroyed. I just need a place to crash for a while.'"

"Wow, I had no idea. I'm sorry about your home, you can stay as long as you like, and we have one more room open. Beast Boy won't like using it, but we have no choice, and we won't leave you out in the cold."

Jericho touched the tips of his fingers on his right hand to his chin, and then pulled his hand down with his palm facing up. Robin glanced at his sister.

"Oh, right. That means 'Thank you.'"

"Oh. No problem, anything for a friend."

"Not Terra's room!" Beast Boy exclaimed when Robin told the team Jericho was staying.

"I'll clean off the bottom bunk of my bed and he can stay in my room!"

A look of pure horror ran across Jericho's face. He pulled Maria over to him and started signing, when he finished she started laughing. Everyone looked at her, and then she glanced at Jericho, who nodded.

"Well…" She said "Jericho has seen Beast Boy's room and…." She started giggling again "He's afraid that if he slept there, something would rise from the muck and eat him alive!"

Cyborg gave Jericho a hearty pat on the back and laughed "That was brilliant! Keep it up and you'll be a full time Titan in no time!"

Jericho started signing again.

"Umm…" Maria started "He says he won't change anything in the room, he won't even put up a single poster if that makes you feel better, Beast Boy."

Beast Boy glanced down at the floor and tilted his ears back. "It's cool…"

"Beast Boy just needs time to adjust." Robin explained "He'll be okay."

"**Thank you for interpreting for me."** Jericho signed **"I think writing notes every time I have something to say would have driven me insane!"**

"**Oh, it's no problem, I love signing."**

"**I just have one question…"**

"**What?"**

"**Why did you lie about why you learned sign language?"**

"**What makes you think it was a lie?"**

"**The same reason I knew you were a friend when we met."**

Hot water trickled over her head "I'm still getting used to these hot showers; I went for far too long without them. Well after a long day of training, I'd say I've earned it." She said to herself as she lathered up. _You'll never wash it all off girl; you'll never be truly clean again._ She shook her head "Stop thinking like that…" _It's true though. You can't erase it. You can't erase anything, even if you wanted to. You…are…cursed. Look down._

She looked down and saw blood all over the shower floor; she followed the blood to the drain where she found something small squirming. Her eyes turned to horror when she realized it was a fetus. She opened her mouth to scream, but for several minutes, nothing came out. Finally, she screamed a blood curdling scream that could wake the dead. At that moment, she saw a man's silhouette in the curtain. He pulled back the curtain, grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her saying "Maria!" over and over again. Without hesitation, she pushed him away, screaming "Get away!" and sending him to the other side of the room, he hit the wall and slid down to a sitting position. Suddenly, she felt an invisible force tie her arms to her torso, and the room got brighter.

She opened her eyes to find herself in far corner of her room, with a black aura holding her still. Robin was on the other side getting up off the floor, Starfire still had her hand on the light switch, Raven was focused on holding her still, and Jericho, Cyborg, and Beast Boy each stood there worried. Her sheets seemed to be half way torn off her bed and her pillows were on the floor.

"I'm sorry guys… I just…" She started to say as Raven released her "I just…" She hugged herself and fell to her knees, slightly biting her lower lip. Her mouth opened, but the words just wouldn't come out. Jericho wrote a small note and slipped it in Robin's hands; he then walked over to Maria and started signing.

"I know…" She replied.


	4. Chapter 4

This chapter may be disturbing to some readers.

* * *

They both stood in the gym sweating, panting, and slightly scratched up Maria fell back on the floor.

"I…am…exhausted…" She said.

Robin dropped a white towel on her face and placed a water bottle by her head. "You're getting better, I see no hesitation. In fact…this time you seemed pretty angry. When you're fighting, you shouldn't let emotions get in the way of your judgment."

Cyborg walked in with a towel around his neck "Man, you are the _last_ person who could tell her that. Nightingale, if you need to learn how to control your emotions, Raven is the one to talk to."

"Thanks Cyborg, I'll be sure to talk to her. In the mean time…I think I have earned some TV time. Right Bro?"

"I guess…If you can beat me to the sofa." Robin took off running.

"Hey!" Maria said running after him "No fair! Get back here you spiky haired acrobrat!"

Naturally, Robin beat her to the sofa. "Just like old times…" He smirked.

"What? You cheat and get a head start? Yup, just like the good old days. If you're not careful, I might be faster than you one day!"

"Good! I'm just glad you seem to be slowly turning back into your old self."

"Ha! Just don't expect me to suddenly like dolls."

"You never liked dolls…"

"Exactly!"

"You still prefer action to drama and romance?"

"You know it!"

"Good, looks like I won't have to kick you off my sofa."

"You wouldn't do that, would you? Not to your sweet baby sister."

"Don't start that. For the record, you will **not** be treated any different from anyone else in the tower."

"Good, I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Great, now let's see if anything good is on."

"Right."

Robin grabbed the remote and started channel surfing. Maria stopped him when it hit a news station that was covering breaking news in Gotham City.

"What's going on Sis?"

"Shush"

"This morning…" An anchor woman started to say "Alexander Perdue, accused of twenty-three accounts of conspiracy to murder, racketeering, and several other serious charges including child prostitution and sixteen known accounts of feticide, has been released from jail on bond. I have been told that he will be staying in his summer home in Jump City until his next scheduled court date…" The woman continued on to a natural disaster in another part of the country while Maria just stood there silent for a few seconds.

"H-He knows…" She mumbled.

"What's going on? What's wrong?"

Her breathing became erratic and between short breaths she started coughing until she couldn't breathe. Robin got down to her level and put his hands on her shoulders. "Calm down, breathe."

She reached into her utility belt and pulled out an inhaler, and then she pumped it twice into her mouth.

"I-I…" She started to say, and then got a sick look on her face "I think I'm going to be sick!"

She got up and started running to the restroom, running into Jericho. She turned around and signed **"Sorry"** with her right hand while holding her mouth with her left, then continued on to the bathroom. Robin was not far behind her. Jericho pointed in her direction and gave Robin an inquiring look.

"I'm not too sure, but I have an idea." He said, as he ran after her.

She made it to the restroom and shut the door behind her. Robin stopped at the door and waited as she threw up. Starfire came up to Robin "Is Nightingale suffering from the food poisoning?"

"No Starfire, what she's suffering from could be much worse."

Maria walked out after about five minutes to find Robin waiting for her.

"Feel better?" He asked.

"Not really…"

"You need to tell me what's going on. What did you mean when you said 'He knows'? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"I might…"

"I need to know then."

Beast Boy and Cyborg walked by, getting ready to tell Robin a joke when Jericho pushed them away and into the living room.

"I'm not ready…I might not have any other choice…that man he…might be after me…"

"Why?"

"I should start from the beginning…and you might need to sit down…and is the punching bag in good condition?"

"Sis…"

"Okay, okay…" She started "but we should go to the living room or something…"

"Deal."

They walked into the living room, where the rest of the team was watching television. Robin signaled everyone to leave, and they all left the room.

"Okay Maria, tell me everything…"

"He adopted me, shortly after you were adopted…He…told me to pick out a nice dress…and that night he…he…" She started to cry "I can't say it without getting sick…"

"You don't have to…I can tell. That still doesn't explain why he might be after you now; I need to know what happened next."

"He gave me the scar on my neck…After this went on for a few months…I tried to tell a police officer…"

"And?"

"Turns out…he was part of the same crime organization…Perdue had guys everywhere…"

"You were punished, weren't you?"

She nodded. "Beaten, and locked in the basement for two days with nothing more than a few crackers to eat and a pocket sized water bottle to drink." She paused and started to tear up "I still had to take care of my 'duties' while I was down there. That was my one and only warning…he told me that next time, I would end up dead like the others before me…and he went easy on me because I made him the most money…"

"So…you were the most popular?"

"I was a cute blonde girl with acrobatic skills; of course I was popular among those…freaks…that man had his eyes on me since the day our parents died…"

"I see, what happened after your punishment?"

"Everything stayed consistent for a while, that is until… I found out I was pregnant…"

"WHAT!"

"So he…" She held her left hand over her mouth, and her right hand over her stomach "beat me until I miscarried…"

"Maria…"

She brought her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, buried her face in them, and started crying "I was only ten!" she screamed "My body wasn't mature enough for any of this…How could he do that to me!"

Robin got on his knees in front of her and gently grabbed her shoulders. "Look at me…"

She looked up.

"You don't have to talk about that part anymore. It's all in the past, it's over now and you're safe… Okay?"

She nodded.

"Good. Now, you don't have to tell me anything else that may be too painful for you to handle, but I still need you to calm down and tell me why he would be after you now…"

She nodded and took a few breaths "I stopped looking for help, I just didn't know who I could trust…there was only one man in law enforcement I knew would be safe, but I had no idea how I could possibly reach him…"

"Who was that?"

"Gordon…I overheard Perdue and some of his goons talking about how to get rid of him, then of how they failed to get rid of him, and then how he's just always in the way. Everyone in my position knew that if it was ever possible to get a hold of Gordon directly, then it will be done. It was a pact that some of the older girls and I swore to do. Most of them ended up dead for trying…"

"I see…What happened next?"

"I found out that a boy in my class lived right next door to him, problem was…he was deaf…"

"So you learned sign language to communicate with him…"

"Yes…"

"Why didn't you just write him notes?"

"I didn't want there to be any proof. Once I learned sign language, I explained to him that I desperately needed help, and Gordon was the only man I could turn to. He gave me the address and directions, and then he said he would tell Gordon that I might come over."

"So you got to Gordon?"

"Yes…"

"How did you get out?"

"My room was on the fourth floor, and it was locked from the outside. There was a tree that was hard to reach out my window…"

"Not a smart place to hold an acrobat…"

"Exactly… I climbed out of my window, and onto that tree, and then I started to jump from tree to tree until I was far off the property. Once I was on the ground… I started running like my life depended on it. When I got to the city, I took a bus to Gordon's neighborhood using change I picked up on the way. When I got to his house, I checked the mail box to make sure I was at the right place. Sure enough…the name on the box was 'Gordon' and I could see the boy from my class in the window of the house next to it. I took a deep breath and ran to the door. I started banging on the door and ringing the bell frantically while screaming 'Help! Please! Once they find out I'm gone, they'll kill me! Please! Help!' I kept screaming and crying. I held my breath when I heard someone running to the door. Finally, he opened the door and let me explain…it was less than a minute, but it felt like I was there for hours. After that…he took care of everything…"

"In other words… you're the reason he was put in jail. If he's after you, it's because you told Gordon, and Gordon busted him!"

She nodded.

"But… How would he know where you are?"

"He has eyes everywhere he has homes, and he has homes all over the country. I promise, he would not be coming to Jump City if he didn't know I was here!" She started crying again "Please…don't let him find me…"

Robin hugged her tightly "He's not going to hurt you again Maria, I swear. We won't let him anywhere near you. You're safe now."

That was the moment when the wall she's been building around her heart collapsed. She started to cling to her older brother, like she would cling to their father when she had a nightmare, and cried. "Thank you Brother…"

Later that night, Robin found Jericho in the gym and flashed the note he gave him the other night that read:

_I have reason to believe that this is PTSD._

"Explain." He said tossing him a notebook and a pen. "What do you know?"

Jericho started writing.

_Everything._

"How?"

_You know when I jump into someone; I can jump in their mind and see their memories._

"Yeah… Wait… When did you jump in her?"

_When Harold and I came and found her here alone, we weren't sure if she was a friend of yours or an intruder. He almost pushed her into another dimension, so I thought the best and easiest thing to do to get things straightened out._

"Well now I have something to talk to Harold about later, but for now I'd like to know why you didn't tell me what you knew."

_She needed to tell you._

"Okay, that's actually a good reason…"

_Though, I think she left something out that you should know…_

"What?"

_That man told her he ordered the hit on your parents._

* * *

Before anyone starts judging...

1) Stuff like what Maria went through **DOES** happen, so this isn't too far off.

2) **ALL **of the Titans have major issues. Don't believe me? Do some research, especially Starfire. Starfire and Maria might have more in common than you think!


End file.
